View source for Mercy swims to us through Christ's blood!.

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<p>(Thomas Watson, "http://www.gracegems.org/Watson/ten_commandments.htm" '''[[The Ten Commandments]]'''")<br>
<br>
Every link in the <em>golden chain of salvation,</em> <br>
is wrought and interwoven with free grace!<br>
<br>
God's <strong>love </strong>is free. "I will love them freely." Hosea 14:4 <br>
<br>
<strong>Election </strong>is free. "He has chosen us in Him according<br>
to the good pleasure of His will." Ephesians 1:5 <br>
<br>
<strong>Justification </strong>is free. "Being justified freely by His<br>
grace." Romans 3:24 <br>
<br>
God's saving MERCY<strong> </strong>is <strong>free </strong>and spontaneous. To <br>
set up <em>merit</em>—is to destroy <em>mercy</em>. We do not <em>deserve </em><br>
mercy, because of our enmity. We may force God to <em><br>
punish </em>us—but not to <em>love </em>us! If God would show <br>
mercy only to such as <em>deserve </em>it—He would show <br>
mercy to none!<br>
<br>
Mercy is an innate propensity in God to do good <br>
to distressed sinners. Mercy proceeds primarily, <br>
and originally from God. He is called the "Father <br>
of mercies." 2 Corinthians 1:3<br>
<br>
God's saving mercy is <strong>powerful</strong>. How powerful is that <br>
mercy—which softens a heart of stone! Mercy changed <br>
Mary Magdalen's heart, out of whom seven devils were <br>
cast. She who was an <em>inflexible adamant—</em>was made a <br>
<em>weeping penitent!</em> <br>
<br>
God's mercy works <em>sweetly</em>—yet <em>irresistibly</em>. <strong>It allures<br>
—yet conquers! </strong>The <em>law </em>may terrify—but <em>mercy </em>mollifies. <br>
Of what sovereign power and efficacy is that mercy, which <br>
subdues the pride and enmity of the heart, and beats off<br>
those chains of sin, in which the soul is held!<br>
<br>
God's mercy is <strong>superabundant</strong>. The Lord has <em>treasures </em>of <br>
mercy in store, and therefore is said to be "<em>plenteous </em>in mercy" <br>
(Psalm 86:5), and "<em>rich </em>in mercy" (Eph 2:4). The <u>vial</u> of God's <br>
wrath, only <em>drops</em>—but the <u>fountain</u> of His mercy, <em>runs</em>. The <br>
sun is not so full of light—as God is of mercy. His mercy is<br>
over-flowing and ever-flowing. His mercy is infinite—without <br>
bounds, and without end. "His mercy endures forever." Psalm 136.<br> Every time we <em>draw our breath</em>—<em>we suck in mercy! </em><br>
<br>
We are all <strong>living monuments of God's mercy!</strong> He shows <br>
mercy to us in daily supplying us. He supplies us with <em>health</em>. <br>
Health is the <em>sauce which makes life sweeter.</em> How those who <br>
are chained to a sick-bed, would prize this mercy! God supplies <br>
us with <em>provisions</em>. "God who <em>fed </em>me all my life long." Gen 48:15. <br>
Mercy spreads our tables, and carves for us every bit of bread <br>
we eat! We never drink, but in <em>the golden cup of mercy!<br>
</em><br>
God shows mercy in <strong>restraining us from sin</strong>. <em>Lusts </em>within—<br>
are worse than <em>lions </em>without! <em>The greatest sign of God's anger</em>, <br>
is to give men up to their sins. "So I gave them up to their own <br>
hearts' lust." Psalm 81:12. While the ungodly <em>sin themselves to <br>
hell</em>, God has laid the <em>bridle of restraining grace</em> upon us! As God<br>
said to Abimelech, "I withheld you from sinning against Me." Gen 20:6.<br> Just so,<em> God has withheld us from those sins </em>which might <br>
have made us a prey to Satan, and a terror to ourselves!<br>
<br>
God shows mercy in <strong>guiding </strong>and directing us. He guides our <br>
affairs for us; and chalks out the way He would have us to walk. <br>
"You shall guide me with Your counsel." Psalm 73:24. God leads <br>
us with the oracles of His Word, and the guidance of His Spirit. <br>
He guides our <em>heads </em>to keep us from error; and He guides our<br>
<em>feet </em>to keep us from scandal. Oh, what mercy it is—to have God<br>
to be our guide and pilot! <br>
<br>
God shows mercy in <strong>correcting </strong>us. He is angry—in love. <br>
He smites—that He may save. His rod is not a rod of iron <br>
to <em>break </em>us—but a fatherly rod to <em>humble </em>us. "God disciplines <br>
us for our good—that we may share in His holiness." Hebrews 12:10.<br> In our afflictions—God will <em>mortify some corruption</em>, or <em><br>
exercise some grace. <br>
</em><br>
God shows mercy in <strong>saving </strong>us. "According to His mercy, <br>
He <em>saved </em>us." Titus 3:5. This is the top-stone of mercy! <br>
Here mercy displays itself in all its orient colors. Mercy is<br>
mercy indeed, when God perfectly refines us from all the <br>
lees and dregs of corruption; when our bodies are made <br>
like Christ's glorious body, and our souls like the angels. <br>
Saving mercy is crowning mercy. It is not merely to be <br>
<em>freed from hell</em>—but <em>enthroned in a kingdom! </em>What rich <br>
mercy will it be—to fully possess God, to see His smiling <br>
face, and to lay in His bosom forever! This will fill us <br>
with "a glorious, inexpressible joy!" 1 Peter 1:8. God's<br>
saving mercy, is the diamond in the ring!<br>
<br>
Mercy more overflows in God—than sin in us. His mercy <br>
can drown great sins—as the sea covers great rocks! <br>
Christ's blood is "a fountain to cleanse them from all <br>
their sins and defilement." Zech 13:1. Some of the Jews <br>
who had their hands imbrued in Christ's blood—were <br>
saved by that blood! God loves to magnify His mercy, <br>
and display the trophies of free grace!<br>
<br>
How may I know that <em>my sins</em> are pardoned? Whenever <br>
God removes the <em>guilt </em>of sin—He breaks the <em>power </em>of sin. <br>
"He will have compassion; he will <em>subdue </em>our iniquities." <br>
Mic 7:19. With <em>pardoning love</em>—God gives <em>subduing grace</em>.<br>
<br>
If we would have saving mercy, it must be through Christ. <br>
Outside of Christ, there is no saving mercy. We read in the <br>
old law, that none might come into the holy of holies, where <br>
the <em>mercy-seat</em> stood—but the <em>high-priest</em>. This signifies that <br>
we have nothing to do with mercy—but through Christ our <br>
High-priest. That the high-priest might not come near the <br>
mercy-seat without <em>blood</em>, is to show that we have no right <br>
to mercy—but through the expiatory sacrifice of Christ's <br>
blood, Lev 16:14. If we would have mercy, we must be <em>in <br>
Christ</em>. <strong>Mercy swims to us through Christ's blood!</strong>
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